Surgical tray corner protector

Abstract

A surgical tray corner protector includes a base, a side wall that extends from an outer edge of the base, and support members extending from the top surface of the base to form a tray support surface, providing improved drainage and air flow.

1. A surgical tray having a plurality of corners fitted with corner protectors, and being wrapped with a sterilization wrap covering the surgical tray and the corner protectors, wherein each of the corner protectors comprises:
 a base having a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer edge; 
 a side wall extending from the outer edge of the base in a first direction on only two sides of the outer edge of the base to form a rim for receiving one of the corners of the surgical tray; and 
 a plurality of support members spaced from one another extending from the top surface of the base in the first direction to define a support surface; 
 wherein the base, the side wall and the plurality of support members are all composed of a medical grade polymeric material. 
 
   
   
     2. The surgical tray of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of support members of each of the corner protectors define the support surface in a single plane that is elevated from the top surface of the base. 
   
   
     3. The surgical tray of  claim 1 , wherein each of the corner protectors further comprises:
 a plurality of apertures extending though the base. 
 
   
   
     4. The surgical tray of  claim 1  wherein the rim of the side wall of each of the corner protectors has a generally rectangular shape. 
   
   
     5. The surgical tray of  claim 3  wherein the apertures of each of the corner protectors are interposed between the plurality of support members. 
   
   
     6. The surgical tray of  claim 1  wherein the support members of each of the corner protectors include a plurality of sloped support ribs adjacent the side wall, each of the plurality of sloped support ribs having a radius of curvature and having a portion that extends up at least a portion of the side wall. 
   
   
     7. The surgical tray of  claim 1  wherein each corner protector has a bottom plurality of support members extending from the bottom surface of the base to define a bottom support surface. 
   
   
     8. A corner protector for use with a surgical tray, the corner protector comprising:
 a base having a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer edge; 
 a wall extending from the outer edge of the base on only two sides of the outer edge of the base to form a rim for receiving a corner of the surgical tray; 
 a first plurality of support members spaced from one another extending from the top surface of the base to define a first support surface located in a first plane; 
 a second plurality of support members extending from the bottom surface of the base to define a second support surface in a second plane; 
 and a plurality of drainage apertures extending through the base; 
 wherein the base is tilted with respect to the first plane and second plane. 
 
   
   
     9. The corner protector of  claim 8  wherein the corner protector is comprised of medical grade polymeric material. 
   
   
     10. The corner protector of  claim 8  wherein the first and second plurality of support members comprise a first plurality of support ribs and a second plurality of support ribs, respectively. 
   
   
     11. The corner protector of  claim 10  wherein the plurality of drainage apertures are interposed between the first and second plurality of support fibs. 
   
   
     12. The corner protector of  claim 11  wherein the first and second plurality of support ribs comprise a single center support fib extending longitudinally along a diagonal axis of the base and an equal number of side support fibs which fan outward from either side of the center support rib. 
   
   
     13. The corner protector of  claim 12  wherein a height of each of the first plurality of support ribs increases in a first direction and a height of the second plurality of support fibs increases in an opposite direction so that the first plurality of support ribs defines the first support plane and the second plurality of fibs defines a second support plane. 
   
   
     14. The corner protector of  claim 8  wherein the first support plane is configured to elevate a surgical tray and the second support plane is configured to elevate the corner protector. 
   
   
     15. A surgical tray having a plurality of corners fitted with corner protectors, and being wrapped with a sterilization wrap covering the surgical tray and the corner protectors, wherein each of the corner protectors comprises:
 a base having a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer edge, the base being composed of a fluid-impermeable medical grade polymeric material and including a plurality of support members spaced from one another extending from the top surface in a first direction to define a support surface that is elevated from the top surface of the base; and 
 a side wall extending from the outer edge of the base in the first direction on only two sides of the outer edge of the base to form a rim for receiving one of the corners of the surgical tray; 
 wherein the base is configured to drain moisture away from the side wall. 
 
   
   
     16. The surgical tray of  claim 15 , wherein the base of each of the corner protectors includes a plurality of drainage apertures extending therethrough. 
   
   
     17. The surgical tray of  claim 15 , wherein the support surface of each of the corner protectors is located in a plane, and the top surface of the base is tilted with respect to the plane.